Last



Ian, 27, 1925. 1,524,372

J. C. TORCHIA LAST Filed Nov. '7, 1923 4,71 7% flttozm q Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES JULIUS C. [CORGI-TIA, OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA.

LAST.

A plication filed. November 7, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS C. TORCHIA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hazleton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lasts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in shoemakers lasts.

The ordinary shoemakers last has a substantially smooth working face and it has been found that in nailing on soles, the nails will frequently have their pointed or entering ends merely deflected at right angles after pentrating the sole and welt, instead of being turned back or clinched as is required. Therefore, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a last having its working face of such a contour as to positively insure of clinching of the pointed or. entering ends of the nails both when the nails are properly driven into the shoe and also when they are carelessly driven in at an angle from either side, in which latter event, in the use of the ordinary last, the nail is certain to be improperly clinched.

Another object of the lnvention 1s to provide a last with a toe piece over whlch a toe cap may be readily and convenlently formed by the shoemaker thereby insuring of more perfect formation of the toe cap and a more effectual securing of the same in place.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoemakers last having a toe portion which may be readily applied and removed thereby permitting of the sub stitution of too portions of various contours and sizes.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for attaching the toe portion, referred to above, to the last 1n such a manner as to preclude any displacement of the toe portion through the stresses to which it is subjected while in use.

In the accompanying drawmg:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a shoemakers last embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the last;

Figure 3 is a group perspective v1ew illustrating the toe portion of the last proper and the toe piece which is separably connected therewith;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional Serial No. 673,302.

view on the line 4t4 of Figure 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 55 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The last embodying the invention is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and may be of any of the general contours given to such articles depending upon the style and size of a shoe to be lasted thereon. The working face of the last is indicated by the numeral 2 and is of the usual slightly transversely and longitudinally rounded contour as shown in the drawing. The working face ofthe ordinary last, as previously pointed out, is smooth through out its entire area. In nailing on a sole, if the nails are carelessly driven into place, as, for example, at an angle from either side, their entering ends will not be completely turned back and clinched as is desired and in fact necessary, but will be merely deflected at a right angle or even an obtuse angle with the result that they will not properly perform their securing function.

In order that the nails may be clinched with certainty, the present invention contemplates forming in the working face 2 of the last, a groove 3, the side and bottom walls of which are continuously transversely curved, the side walls at their upper portions being rounded transversely as at 4.- to merge with the upper surface of the last. The groove 3 extends continuously around the margin of the working face of the last at the toe, ball, and instep portions thereof. The groove is located relatively close to the margin of these portions of the last and the groove may be of greater or less depth and greater or less width as experience may dictate. By providing the groove 3 in the working face of the last and locating the groove as stated, and likewise by forming the walls of the groove in the manner illustrated and above described, when the nails are driven through the sole and welt, their entering or piercing ends will come in contact with the side or bottom walls of the groove and as the nails are driven into place their said ends will be forced to follow the curvature of the walls and consequently will be bent back upon themselves and securely clinched. Not only will this result be obtained when llll the nails are driven perpendicularly and therefore properly through the sole, and where ordinary care is exercised in driving them, but likewise the same desirable result would be obtained when the nails are carelessly driven and probably at one angle or another. It therefore follows that by employing the last embodying the invention, even a more or less unskilled workman may perform excellent work. The last is of course of value to shoemakers for 'use in shops, and it likewise possesses great value-as a last for home use where aconsiderable degree of skill cannot be anticipated on the part of the user.

The ordinary last has its under side sloped or "concave from a central longitudinal ridge toward either lateral edge and the toe partof the ordinary last is relatively thin, As a consequence in applying toe caps, in the course of manufacturing or repairing shoes, considerable care must be exercised in order to properly shape the cap. The present invention therefore has as another important object, as previously explained, toprovide a tip to be secured to the under side of the toe portion of the last to facilitate the operation of forming and securing in place the toe cap of the shoe. The tip is indicated in the drawing, in gener'ah'by the numeral 5, the under side of the last at the toe portion being indicated by the numerals and, as indicated by the nuineral' 'i', having sloping surfaces lo-- cated at opposite sites of a longitudinal V rib 8, the surfaces sloping toward the lateral margins of the toe portion of the last and the said portion of the last being gradually thinned from the line of extent of the rib 8 to the said margins. In the present instance the underside of the last at the toe portion is preferably recessed, as indicated by the numeral '9, so that a shoulder 10 is "provided inwardly of the extremity-of the toe and extending transversely of the said toe portion. The "tip 5 is given the contour of the toe cap which it is required to fashion and secure in place,

' being formed with a more or less rounded working surface 11 and being of greater or less thickness depending upon the contour and size of the toe cap. The face of the tip opposite the working face '11 is formed withv a longitudinally extending groove indicated by the nun'ier'al l2 and this groove extends from the butt end of the tip to a point spaced rearwardly from the relatively pointed extremity of the tip, the

butt end of the tip being straight so as to squarely abut the shoulder 10, the groove 12 receiving the rib 8. The said face of the tip is transversely sunken and has relatively inclined surface areas 13 which flatly contact the inclined surfaces 7 of the under side of the toe portion of the last as clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawing. It will be evident that when the tip is disposed against the under side of the last with its butt end engaging the shoulder 10 and with its surface portion 13 engaging the surface portion 7 of the last and with the rib 8 received in the groove 12, lateral displacement of the tip as well as rearward displacement will be effectually prevented. In order to secure the tip in place, screws 14; may be fitted through openings provided in the toe portion of the last and threaded into the tip, it being understood that by removing the screws, one tip may be substituted for another.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A shoe last comprising a body portion, a toe portion forming a unit therewith, and a toetip adapted to be secured under said toe portion and being provided with a war flat face, the marginal contour of said body and toe portions being uninterru )ted from heel to point of the last; said ody portion terminating with an abrupt, transversely directed shoulder at the juncture with said toe portion and against which the rear flat face of said toe tip is seated.

2. A shoe last comprising a body portion, a toe portion forming a unit therewith, and a toe tip adapted to be secured under said toe portion and being provided with a rear flat face, the marginal contour of said body and toe portions being uninterrupted from heel to point of the last; said body portion terminating with an abrupt, tran svelsely directed shoulder at the juncture with said toe portion and against which the rear flat face'of said toe tip is seated, the under side of said toe portion havin a longitudinal rib engaging in a correspon ing groove formed in said toe tip.

3. A shoe last comprising a body rtion, a toe portion forming a unit therewith, and a'toe tip adapted to be secured under said toe portion and being provided with a rear flat face, the marginal contour of said body and toe portions being uninterru ted from heel to point of the last; said bo y portion terminating with an abrupt, transversely directed shoulder at the juncture with said ture.

JULIUS C. TORCHIA, [n 8.] 

